FAA approves drone testing in U.S. skies

The AP is reporting that sites in six states in the U.S. have received federal approval to test unmanned aerial vehicles, drones.

From the article…

Alaska, Nevada, New York, North
Dakota, Texas and Virginia will host the research sites, providing
diverse climates, geography and air traffic environments as the Federal
Aviation Administration seeks to safely introduce commercial drones into
U.S. airspace.

Members of
Congress and other politicians lobbied intensely to bring the work to
their states. Representatives were jubilant about the likelihood that
the testing will draw companies interested in cashing in on the
fledgling industry.

While the criticism has revolved largely around the threats to privacy from aerial surveillance and a fear that the weaponized military drones employed in wartime could be patrolling U.S. skies, studies indicate that more than 70,000 jobs could be created in manufacturing and delivery services related to drones.

The most notable interested party is Amazon, who announced last month that it is looking into the possibility of drone delivery services.